


Void of Cheer (Spring 1986)

by floatingdreams



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Post-Stranger Things 3, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28226913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingdreams/pseuds/floatingdreams
Summary: El and Mike’s souls are still tethered; not even distance able to extract their bond. However, as El manages to regain brief access into the void, she finds a sight that leaves her questioning her boyfriend’s loyalty.AKA — my take on the Mike & cheerleader theory that leads to an impromptu road trip back to Hawkins.An overall fluffy Mileven mess.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	Void of Cheer (Spring 1986)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this one shot about a month ago after people in the fandom were bugging out over the idea of Mike leaving El for a cheerleader, so here's my take on that! I hope you all enjoy!

***********

It had been a build up of hard work over a series of excruciatingly long weeks. Stemming from the back of her consciousness and moving outward, El fought to achieve access into the void. She yearned to reach out to the father she believed was alive and all of the people she left behind in Hawkins. Yet, her mind was like withering elastic; practically begging to snap.

It happened like a bursting flash. Behind her blindfolded eyes, El caught a second long glimpse of the boy she loved. Mike's hair had grown to nearly reach his shoulders, but the sparkle of his orbs had dulled. Just before she was propelled back out of the void, Eleven was able to witness a sight that made her stomach churn. A slender arm with yellow and green painted nails touched upon her boyfriend's shoulder; which immediately sent envious shivers down her spine. She could see the twirl of a cheerleader's uniform just before she ripped off the blindfold in heated anger.

Although she had only been gifted her abilities for a fleeting moment, El's nose had somehow become flooded with blood. She choked on the metallic substance that had engulfed her throat as she sputtered out an anxious cry.

Luckily for her, Jonathan; who had become used to her efforts in retrieving back her powers, came bounding into the room with a damp cloth. As the older boy sat beside her, he softly berated, "El, you need to stop this. You're going to end up hurting yourself," he paused, instructing her to lift up her chin as he swiped at the drying blood while adding, "you know that even if you don't have your powers you're still the most badass person any of us know. Nobody is going to love you less."

It was like his last sentence struck an angered cord in El's chest as she huffed, "nobody will love me less, but the only thing I could see in there was Mike with another girl."

"What?" Jonathan questioned harshly in shock, shaking his head as he deadpanned, "are you talking about Mike Wheeler? The boy that would do anything for you?"

A pitiful sigh left Eleven's mouth as she abruptly got up from her bed. She paced for a few moments as she thought over the previous weeks. Just a mere day ago, Mike had felt distant on their phone call. His voice wavered at times as he spoke to her about the new campaign he had crafted. The energetic excitement he usually carried was absent, but at the end of the call when he uttered, 'I love you,' El had felt as though he was being honest. Yet, here she was now, doubting that her love was being reciprocated.

As her fingernails dug into her palms, she muttered, "I'm pretty sure he's going to break up with me," El barked out a dry laugh as she continued, "he's probably already with someone else and I don't blame him. I don't blame him for not loving me anymore—"

Her voice cut off in a sharp cry, her tough facade crumbling at the same moment Jonathan wrapped her up in a tight hug. He consoled the girl delicately for a moment before pulling back with a look of determination.

"We're going on a road trip," Jonathan bluntly declared.

With furrowed brows, Eleven mumbled, "what?"

Moving around her room in a haste, Jonathan proceeded to throw her scattered articles of clothing into a duffel. He then trotted to his room and did the same before returning back in front of El. Her eyes were bleary and her shoulders were slumped in defeat. It wasn't a sight Jonathan liked to see from the person he knew to be so courageous.

"We're going to see Mike," the boy paused, blushing as he murmured, "and Nancy."

A small smile graced El's face as she questioned, "are we really doing this?"

Ruffling her curly hair, Jonathan disclaimed, "we are," he suddenly paled before lowly adding, "but first we have to leave mom a note so that she doesn't kill us."

Within a half hour, the duo set off. As the dark night sky bled into an early morning haze, Jonathan and Eleven spent the long hours singing together. Over the past few months, the two of them had made a series of different mixtapes. Some included more pop for El, and others accommodated to Jonathan's interest in indie alternative. Regardless of what they listened to though, the two simply found peace in enjoying music together.

When they finally arrived in Hawkins, it was already Friday morning. Rather than stopping directly at the Wheelers residence, the two of them found themselves parked in the high school's lot. Before El could even process what she would say to Mike though, the lanky boy that had a hold on her heart came pedaling towards the bike rack. She almost found herself smiling at him animatedly talking to Dustin and another boy she didn't know, but that small gesture wiped clean off of her face as a beautiful cheerleader came gliding towards them. The girl stood with her hip jutted outward as she trailed her fingers along Dustin's shoulder. 

In an instant, the cheerleader's pose redirected to Mike. As the girl's hand went to land upon her boyfriend, a trail of blood escaped Eleven's nostril as she unconsciously sent the uniformed girl onto the concrete. As Dustin and the other boy attempted to help her up, Mike's wide eyes were busy looking around in bewilderment. El could see his lips frantically moving; almost like he was chanting out a single word, but she couldn't hear him.

Jonathan quickly turned to El and stated, "hey, look at me. It's okay. I know you didn't mean to do that," he grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her nose as he wondered, "do you want to talk to him?"

Shaking her head, Eleven muttered, "no, this was stupid. I shouldn't be here. Girlfriends don't spy."

Before either sibling could register what was happening, the passenger side car door was already yanked open. Within an instant, Mike had delicately brought Eleven out of the vehicle and into a standing position. She immediately recognized a shimmer in his dark irises as tears overwhelmed his orbs. Her breathing became uneven as his long fingers smoothly caressed her cheeks. He was soaking in every bit of her presence, almost like he couldn't believe she was even real.

"A-are you really h-here?" Mike stuttered through a cry as he swiped his finger above her lip, collecting a small spec of blood as he wondered, "is everything okay? What's happening?"

Before she could respond, Jonathan hastily interrupted the pair by enforcing, "El, you need to sit down. That was the first time you've been able to use your p—" he cut himself off, shaking his head as he mumbled, "please just get back in the car, I don't want you to pass out."

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together silently, Mike moved quickly to maneuver El into the backseat. He instantly sat alongside of her, propping her head up as he recognized exhaustion seep into her body's frame.

"Was this the first time her powers have worked since the summer?" Mike anxiously questioned.

Jonathan's eyes glanced at him in the rear view mirror before he informed, "she got into the void for a second yesterday. She was upset by what she saw, so I brought her here to see you."

Recognizing that Eleven had dozed off, Mike silently began to play with her curls. As he looked at her, it was like every part of his body felt alive for the first time in weeks. Being separated from her was unbearable, almost like he couldn't function without her presence by his side. As he continued trailing his fingertips within her hair, Mike murmured, "do you know what she saw? Is everything okay?"

"That's not something I can share with you," Jonathan sighed before adding, "if you want to know, you'll have to ask her yourself when she's feeling better."

A flare of annoyance sparked within Mike's chest as he disclaimed, "that's not fair! I don't know what happened yesterday and you do. I want to be able to take care of her, Jonathan. She's my girlfriend—"

"Yeah, and she's my sister, so it's my job to protect her from having her heart broken."

Mike mildly reeled backwards at the words Jonathan had just barked at him. Feeling slightly small, the boy brought himself to ask, "h-her heart broken?" An ache filled his chest as he looked down at the angelic girl within his arms before he enforced, "she means everything to me. I love her and I would never break her heart." 

Before Jonathan could respond, the passenger side door was ripped open once again. After throwing himself into the seat, Dustin loudly shouted, "holy shit! It's good to see you guys—" the curly haired boy cut himself off, furrowing his brows as he mumbled, "why's El asleep?"

Wiping his frowned face, Jonathan grumbled, "Jesus Christ. Are you two going to school today or are you both skipping?"

Without a verbal answer given, both of the adolescent boys responded by clicking their seatbelts into place. And on that note, they were off.

***

As consciousness slowly bled back into El's mind, she found herself clawing to hold onto the sensations she currently felt. Her skin was warmly coddled by a fabric she had once known and there was a smell that distinctly reminded her of home. With the sun's rays kissing her eyes, she peered around at her surroundings; immediately recognizing the familiarity of the Wheeler's basement. Before she could move, a loving set of arms that were wrapped around her middle squeezed her kindly. 

"How are you feeling, love?" Mike questioned softly as he buried his face further into her neck.

Eleven practically melted into the cuddles she was receiving as her body relaxed against him. She gave herself a moment to bask in the tender touches she had desperately missed before reality washed over her. Forcing herself upright, El's eyes felt scorned as Mike's dilated pupils burned against hers.

"I-I saw you," El weakly offered, looking down as she confessed, "I've been practicing getting into the void so I can look for Hopper, but I somehow ended up where you were."

A proud smile reached Mike's face as he grabbed ahold of her hand, "baby, that's amazing! I knew your powers would come back!" He waited a moment for her to rejoice with him, but her gaze remained focused on the floor. Gently taking her cheeks into his hands, Mike waited until her eyes redirected onto him before he asked, "what's wrong?"

Rapid tears filled her honey colored orbs as El practically choked, "y-you don't love m-me anymore."

Her words laid in the air like a fatal explosion. It felt as though Mike's soul had been blown apart; leaving him feeling abruptly harmed. As her broken statement replayed in his mind, all's he could manage to feel was failure. He had let the most important thing to him in the world feel like she was unloved, and that was far from being okay with him.

Forcing himself to speak, Mike tearfully uttered, "of course I do, El," his shaking fingers wiped away the moisture from her cheeks as he continued, "my heart is yours." He tucked a stray hair away from her face as he pondered, "did I do something to make you feel this way? What can I do better?"

Not knowing what else to say, Eleven bluntly explained, "I saw you in the void with a girl," she took a sharp breath, almost like the words were killing her. She then proceeded to confess, "Jonathan brought me here because he said it couldn't be true, but I saw you with her again today and I guess it triggered my powers. I'm so sorry, Mike. I shouldn't have spied, but if you want to move on, it's okay. I just want you to be happy."

A stillness overwhelmingly consumed the space once she finished speaking. The silence only lasted a mere few seconds though before Mike burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. El looked at his giggling form in horror as she felt her feelings turn into a pitiful joke. As she quickly scrambled to her feet and attempted to leave the basement, Mike somehow managed to move faster as he lifted her up into his scrawny arms. 

Holding her now at his eye level, Mike solemnly revealed, "I'm so sorry for laughing. That was completely inconsiderate of your feelings, but the reason I reacted that way was because I can't stand that girl. Her and her boyfriend practically stalk our friend Eddie because he sells them weed," he paused to peck her shell shocked facial expression before emphasizing, "you are it for me, El. There's never going to be anyone else that I love, I promise."

Taken aback by his reassuring words, Eleven found herself struggling to speak as she mumbled, "b-but you were d-distant on our last phone call."

"Baby... it’s because I've been doing poorly in school," Mike immediately revealed with a huff as he rested his forehead against hers. She could feel his eyes pouring loving reassurance into her as he whispered, "it's hard to focus on math and other useless bullshit when I'm really missing the girl that I love."

A vivid blush caressed El's cheeks as embarrassment sparked within her core. She had allowed her mind and insecurities to run amuck, causing her to have disbelief in the most stable relationship of her life. She found herself so ashamed that she wanted the floor to open up beneath her and swallow her whole.

"Hey, what's going on in that head of yours?" Mike whispered as the pads of his thumbs rubbed along her porcelain cheeks.

Biting onto her lip in effort to hold back her cries, Eleven quietly mumbled, "I'm so sorry. I feel like an idiot."

Her using that word against herself never sat right with Mike. Hearing El reprimand and talk negatively about who she was made a charging current flow through his gut. He knew how difficult it was for her to get to where she was; to develop the skills it had taken him several nurtured years through intensive schooling to build, yet she had managed to achieve it all within a mere year.

Pecking her forehead, Mike lowly spoke, "you are not an idiot." Emotion coursed through him, causing his arms to wrap around her middle as he hugged her closely. With his lips pressed to her ear, he added, "you are the smartest, bravest person I know."

Slow tears saturated Eleven's face as she cried in relief, "I love you."

Mike's heart weakened at the sound of her cries; causing tears of his own to break free. The two simply embraced as they allowed themselves the luxury of releasing the emotion that had pent up over the weeks they have spent missing one another.

After a few moments, Mike broke the silence as he murmured, "I waited three hundred and fifty three days to see you and I'd do it all over again to get to where we are now. These next three years aren't going to be easy, but I don't care. It's you and me, and as soon as high school is done, I'm going to spend every second of every day by your side,” he paused, smiling as he affectionately rubbed his nose against hers before he softly assured, “I love you."

A loving chill wrapped down Eleven's spine as her boyfriend's words coaxed her entire being to loosen. She brought herself back to kiss Mike's neck before she whispered, "I can't wait to be with you forever."

The two simply gazed at one another, allowing the natural pull between the two of them to take ahold of their forms until their lips plastered to one. Every kiss felt everlasting; as though their passionate embraces could cure any troubling quarrel that was handed to them. And for the first time in awhile, they felt whole in each other's arms.

A sudden rustle above them echoed and the sound of loud knocking radiated off of the basement doorway, causing the couple to discontinue their kiss.

El raised her brow in curiosity as Mike explained with a blush, "about that... Dustin called Lucas and Max. I may have locked them out because I wanted to have you all to myself, but I guess I should share you for a little bit."

"You're adorable," Eleven gushed at him before bounding up the stairs. However, before she even reached the knob, she turned back to Mike with a smile as she whispered, "we'll kick them out after awhile because I want to have you all to myself for a little bit longer."

It was on that note that Mike's heart thumped in glee right before the chaos bursted. El sat amongst friends for awhile; relishing in the feel of normalcy that had been robbed from her. Everything felt right and good with Mike's hand in hers. However, she knew she would have to return back to the house where she resided eventually. But this time, she had a firm understanding that nothing would come between her and her true home.

As El's powers continued reconciling, different challenges would arise. Regardless of location and distance though, it would always be Mike that would be by her side. Forever.

***********

**Author's Note:**

> As always, please feel welcome to leave any comments & requests for one shots you may have. I love to hear everyone's ideas! I can be reached @eggohopper on Instagram if anyone prefers communicating there (:
> 
> Wishing you all a happy holiday season & a happy new year! Stay safe & take care.
> 
> Mel❤️


End file.
